Distributing firmware via autoinstall to various hardware models?

[tomas.johnsen]

Hello,

I'm currnetly working on implementing AutoInstall to ease the process of switch-installation. We're running a ISC DHCP server. Downloading a standard config works great, and I've been able to use option 125 to upgrade a switch's firmware. However, I have found no way of differentiating on various hardware models to give the appropriate image to the various hardware models we use. Cisco APs send option 60 with their DHCP discover/request, but c2960/c2960s don't, which are the two models I've tested with.

We are not interested in using Smart Install.

Does anyone have any tips on how to differentiate the various hardware models and distribute the appropriate images to them?

[Leo Laohoo]

Do you want to upgrade the IOS of the switches whilst the provisioning stage?  

[tomas.johnsen]

Yes. As part of AutoInstall (which does not happen once a configuration is present), you can send option 125 in the DHCP offer, which makes the switch get the image named in the file downloaded from the also provided TFTP-server. I was hoping that if that file contained more image names, the switch would pick out the appropriate image name and try downloading that. However, it only tries the first entry in the file, so I need to give each hardware an appropriate file containing the name of the correct image.

Smart Install does this, and I'd guess it uses CDP to know which image to provide. However, why switches don't send a vendor class identifier is lost on me. It'd make the process very managable.

[Leo Laohoo]

I have been using SmartInstall since 2012 and I've never seen what you are describing.  In my case, it's just power up the new switch and the new switch will get a configuration template, based on the model, and get the right IOS.  

[tomas.johnsen]

Note that this is Auto Install, not SmartInstall. We have such a huge distributed network that we wish to utilize a single central point, and not have more than one DHCP server, and circumvent the need to set up several switches/routers as Directors. Auto Install works great in contacting the DHCP server and then the TFTP-server provoided, but there's no way to differentiate the various hardware models and give them their appropriate IOS.

[tomas.johnsen]

Anyone with any helpful information?